1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for improving poultry feed conversion, and more particularly, but not by way of limitation, to a method and apparatus for periodically causing poultry confined within a poultry raising house to move to a feeding location.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Various poultry raising houses and other apparatus for the confined raising of poultry have heretofore been developed. In addition, apparatus for automatically feeding, watering and cleaning such poultry raising houses have been developed and used successfully. However, the frequency at which poultry feed in confined poultry raising houses has generally been uncontrolled. That is, the poultry eat feed supplied within the raising house at a rate dictated by nature only, and the feed conversion by the poultry, i.e., the units of weight gained per weight unit of feed supplied has also been dictated by nature.
The present invention is based on the discovery that poultry confined within a raising house feed for a period of time and then rest or otherwise remain dormant until motivated by hunger to feed again. If the poultry are periodically disturbed and caused to move about, the time intervals between feeding are reduced which in turn improves the feed conversion of the poultry and reduces the raising time required for the poultry to reach a marketable weight.